LITTLE, BROWN HANDBOOK (WITH WHAT EVERY STUDENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT USING A HANDBOOK), 10/e

Little, Brown Handbook

The Little, Brown Handbook

Summary

The most trusted and authoritative name in handbooks, "The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises" is an easy-to-use reference that will answer any question you may have in grammar, writing, or research. It also includes exercises so you can practice skills. This edition offers the latest information on writing with computers, writing online, analyzing visuals, and researching effectively on the Internet. With clear explanations, a wealth of examples, and quick reference checklists and boxes, "The Little, Brown Compact Handbook" will makes it easy to find what you need and use the information you find. Will answer any question a writer has about grammar, the writing process, or research. The writing process, critical thinking, argumentative writing, style, grammar, mechanics, usage, the research process, how to document sources. Anyone who wants a reliable writing reference book.

Table of Contents

Preface for Instructors

v

Preface for Students: Using This Book

xiii

Introduction: Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

1

(1)

Fostering a critical perspective

2

(1)

Thinking and reading critically

2

(16)

Writing critically

18

(5)

Part I The Whole Paper and Paragraphs

23

(138)

Developing an Essay

24

(39)

The writing situation and the writing process

24

(2)

Discovering and limiting a subject

26

(4)

Defining your purpose

30

(1)

Considering your audience

31

(5)

Developing your topic

36

(11)

Developing your thesis

47

(5)

Organizing your ideas

52

(11)

Drafting and Revising the Essay

63

(22)

Writing the first draft

63

(4)

Revising the first draft

67

(6)

Editing the revised draft

73

(4)

Proofreading and submitting the final draft

77

(3)

Giving and receiving comments

80

(2)

Preparing a writing portfolio

82

(3)

Writing and Revising Paragraphs

85

(41)

Maintaining paragraph unity

87

(5)

Achieving paragraph coherence

92

(12)

Developing the paragraph

104

(13)

Writing special kinds of paragraphs

117

(6)

Linking paragraphs in the essay

123

(3)

Reading and Writing Arguments

126

(35)

Reading arguments critically

126

(12)

Recognizing fallacies

138

(6)

Developing an argument

144

(3)

Using reason and evidence

147

(5)

Reaching your readers

152

(4)

Revising your argument

156

(1)

Examining a sample argument

157

(4)

Part II Grammatical Sentences

161

(104)

Understanding Sentence Grammar

162

(36)

Understanding the basic sentence

163

(8)

Expanding the basic sentence with single words

171

(2)

Expanding the basic sentence with word groups

173

(15)

Compounding words, phrases, and clauses

188

(5)

Changing the usual order of the sentence

193

(2)

Classifying sentences

195

(3)

Case of Nouns and Pronouns

198

(9)

Compound subjects and complements

199

(1)

Compound objects

200

(1)

We or us with a noun

201

(1)

Appositives

201

(1)

Pronoun after than or as in a comparison

202

(1)

Subjects and objects of infinitives

202

(1)

Case of who

202

(3)

Case before a gerund

205

(2)

Verbs

207

(31)

Verb Forms

207

(12)

Regular and irregular verbs

209

(3)

Sit and set; lie and lay; rise and raise

212

(1)

Omitted -s and -ed endings

213

(1)

Helping verbs

214

(5)

Tense

219

(8)

Appropriate tense for meaning

219

(3)

Sequence of tenses

222

(5)

Mood

227

(3)

Subjunctive verb forms

228

(2)

Voice

230

(2)

Active versus passive voice

231

(1)

Other Complications

232

(6)

Verb plus gerund or infinitive ESL

232

(2)

Verb plus particle ESL

234

(4)

Agreement

238

(14)

Agreement between subject and verb

239

(7)

Agreement between pronoun and antecedent

246

(6)

Adjectives and Adverbs

252

(13)

Adjectives only to modify nouns and pronouns

253

(1)

Adjectives after linking verbs to modify subjects

253

(1)

Adjectives to modify objects; adverbs to modify verbs

254

(1)

Short forms and -ly forms of adverbs

254

(1)

Comparative and superlative forms

255

(2)

Double negatives

257

(1)

Overuse of nouns as modifiers

258

(1)

Present and past participles as adjectives ESL

258

(1)

A, an, the, and other determiners ESL

259

(6)

Part III Clear Sentences

265

(52)

Sentence Fragments

266

(8)

Tests for sentence completeness; revision of fragments

267

(3)

Subordinate clause

270

(1)

Verbal or prepositional phrase

270

(1)

Other fragments

271

(2)

Acceptable uses of incomplete sentences

273

(1)

Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

274

(8)

Comma Splices

276

(3)

Main clauses not joined by coordinating conjunction

276

(1)

Main clauses related by a conjunctive adverb or transitional expression

277

(2)

Fused Sentences

279

(3)

Main clauses with no conjunction or punctuation

279

(3)

Pronoun Reference

282

(8)

Clear reference to one antecedent

282

(2)

Clear placement of pronoun and antecedent

284

(1)

Reference to specific antecedent

285

(1)

Indefinite use of it, they, you

286

(1)

Clear use of it

287

(1)

Appropriate use of relative pronouns

287

(3)

Shifts

290

(7)

Person and number

291

(1)

Tense and mood

292

(2)

Subject and voice

294

(1)

Indirect and direct quotations and questions

294

(3)

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

297

(10)

Misplaced Modifiers

297

(6)

Clear placement of modifiers

297

(1)

Limiting modifiers

298

(1)

Squinting modifiers

299

(1)

Separation of subjects, verbs, and objects

300

(1)

Separation of parts of infinitive or verb phrase

300

(1)

Position of adverbs ESL

301

(1)

Order of adjectives ESL

302

(1)

Dangling Modifiers

303

(4)

Dangling modifiers

303

(4)

Mixed and Incomplete Sentences

307

(10)

Mixed Sentences

307

(5)

Mixed grammar

307

(2)

Mixed meaning (faulty predication)

309

(3)

Incomplete Sentences

312

(5)

Compound constructions

312

(1)

Comparisons

312

(2)

Careless omissions

314

(3)

Part IV Effective Sentences

317

(40)

Using Coordination and Subordination

318

(13)

Coordinating to relate equal ideas

318

(5)

Subordinating to distinguish main ideas

323

(5)

Choosing clear connectors

328

(3)

Using Parallelism

331

(7)

Using parallelism for coordinate elements

331

(5)

Using parallelism to increase coherence

336

(2)

Emphasizing Main Ideas

338

(9)

Arranging ideas effectively

338

(4)

Repeating ideas

342

(1)

Separating ideas

343

(1)

Preferring the active voice

344

(1)

Being concise

345

(2)

Achieving Variety

347

(10)

Varying sentence length and structure

348

(3)

Varying sentence beginnings

351

(2)

Inverting the normal word order

353

(1)

Mixing types of sentences

354

(3)

Part V Punctuation

357

(72)

Chart: Commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses

358

(2)

End Punctuation

360

(5)

The Period

360

(1)

With statements, mild commands, and indirect questions

360

(1)

With abbreviations

361

(1)

The Question Mark

361

(2)

With direct questions

361

(1)

To indicate doubt

362

(1)

The Exclamation Point

363

(2)

With emphatic statements, interjections, and commands

363

(1)

Overuse

363

(2)

The Comma

365

(23)

Main clauses linked by coordinating conjunction

365

(3)

Introductory elements

368

(2)

Nonrestrictive elements

370

(5)

Absolute phrases

375

(1)

Phrases expressing contrast

376

(1)

Series and coordinate adjectives

376

(2)

Dates, addresses, place names, long numbers

378

(2)

With quotations

380

(2)

To prevent misreading

382

(1)

Misuse and overuse

382

(6)

The Semicolon

388

(9)

Main clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction

388

(2)

Main clauses related by a conjunctive adverb or transitional expression

390

(2)

Long main clauses

392

(1)

Long items in series

393

(1)

Misuse and overuse

394

(3)

The Apostrophe

397

(8)

Possessive case

397

(3)

Misuse with noun plurals, verbs, and personal pronouns

400

(1)

Contractions

401

(2)

Plurals of abbreviations, dates, and letters, numbers, and words named as words